Tuition on the Track: Catlin Gabel students plan a fresh way to raise funds for financial aid

On April 12, from 1 to 3 p.m., Catlin Gabel students from ages 6 to 18 will be pounding the campus’s track for one generous reason: to raise $25,000 for financial aid for their fellow Catlin Gabel students.

Senior Kate Rubinstein conceived the idea of Tuition on the Track as part of her “Agents of Change” assignment in English class, an opportunity for students to identify a need at the school—then convince the person in charge to help make a positive change. Rubinstein proposed that the senior class’s gift to the school this year would be a whopping $25,000 for financial aid. She and fellow senior Brooke Edelson have been working tirelessly to plan and promote the walkathon, asking students from grades 1 to 12 to sign up sponsors for their laps around the track. They’ve also secured sponsorships from several local businesses.

“Our dream is for Tuition on the Track to become an annual tradition that makes it possible for students who could not otherwise attend Catlin Gabel to benefit from the exceptional academic and social experience our class has enjoyed together,” say Rubinstein and Edelson. They hope that Tuition on the Track will unify the school community in service—while generating lots of Catlin Gabel school spirit.

This will be the first time that the senior class gift has involved fundraising. Financial aid is an important part of the school’s mission. Each year, between 25 and 30 percent of the school’s student body is awarded tuition assistance, and the school hopes to continually increase its ability to make a Catlin Gabel education available to more students through financial aid.

So look for hundreds of students walking, hopping, running, meandering, and skipping on the track Thursday, united in their quest to help others.